coppinpr wrote:so what your saying is you dont agree with grants that benefit the environment and that would be available to British electric transport products...if we made any

I don't agree with grants in any form, but least of all when they benefit a foreign economy. Taxpayer subsidies generally cause an artificial market that can only survive with taxpayer subsidies. Have a look at the joke that is the renewable energy (wind turbine) industry in Scotland: it is a mature industry yet survives only because of subsidies from the domestic energy consumers (i.e you and me) who pay an inflated price for their energy to cover that subsidy. The UK government has (finally) declared that to be unfair and is in the process of withdrawing that subsidy. The Scottish government, of course, is whining about the 'damage' this will do to the Scottish renewable energy industry (whereas they should be asking why the industry cannot stand on its own after nearly 2 decades of being subsidised). You want to market something, excellent and good for you. But compete on actual cost terms and without taxpayer subsidy. I also have significant doubts as to the alleged 'benefit' these contraptions have for the environment, but that is like waving a red flag at a crazy green bull (not referring to you, Paul), so I will leave that one.

Purely my personal opinion, of course. I am sure others may have differing views and that is fine, too.

Much of what you say is true, I did not take up this project because there were grants available,in fact I knew nothing about the grant, The grant goes of course to the buyer not me or the factory, the only (and substantial) benefit to me and the maker is the bikes are cheaper to the end user so should increase sales.money wise it makes no difference to me or the maker but should make them easier to sell.

Your view of grants in general is hard to agree with, gov grants of this type are here to stay,and have been around for over 100 years,the gov argument is that part of the taxes we pay should be returned to people in a way that will benefit the country/local council/city as a whole, if you disagree with the places grants are given then thats a reason for not voting for that government,the (democratic(?) model we live under here is built on the fact that we the voters agree that the government can make these kind of decisions without asking us if we vote them into power . All grants of this type might benefit an other country,the very popular grant towards a new roof on a house or business property may well use materials made abroad and be fitted by Polish roofers,in theory the grant money stays in this country as it goes to the end user not the supplier/fitter.

The grants to the Scottish wind power industry were NEVER intended to make the business a runner,if it had worked out then all the better, they were given to keep people in work rather than giving them the money direct as benefits,money that might go into the steel industry would be on the same basis,we all know the british steel industry cant make a profit,China cant sell cheap steel how on earth could we sell expensive steel? Like it or not its the world market that drives the economy nothing else